QuestionsQuestions (OTS)
An “Apartment-Hotel (Apartel)” is any building or edifice containing several independent and furnished or semi-furnished apartments, regularly leased to tourists and travellers for dwelling on a more or less long-term basis, and offering basic services to its tenants similar to hotels.
A “Tourist Inn” is a lodging establishment catering to transients which does not meet the minimum requirements of an economy hotel.
For registration and licensing, the apartel must have at least a minimum of twenty-five (25) lettable apartments.
Each apartment must be provided with living and dining areas, kitchen, and bedroom with attached toilet and bath.
For apartels, the bathroom must always be clean with adequate sanitation and running water. For tourist inns, all bedrooms must have attached toilet and bath equipped with 24-hour service of running water.
All single bedrooms must have floor area of not less than nine (9) square meters; all twin-rooms or double-rooms must have floor area of not less than sixteen (16) square meters.
Apartments must be sufficiently ventilated, and if possible each bedroom shall be air-conditioned or provided with an electric fan (not applicable in high altitude areas). Lighting arrangements and fixtures in all rooms must be adequate.
An apartel must have a lounge and a reception counter attended by trained staff and provided with a telephone; and it must provide adequate 24-hour security on all entrances and exits.
The written Contract of Lease must state the length of occupancy, which shall not be less than one-half (1/2) month.
Unless otherwise provided in the Lease Contract, water, electric, telephone, gas, and other services supplied to the apartment are for the account of the tenant.
The apartel’s right is limited to enforcement of the Contract of Lease. It may eject a tenant for non-payment of rental and/or repeated violations of the Department’s Rules and/or the Lease Contract or House Rules; it must do so in a way consistent with the Rules’ stated enforcement rights (including preventing entry/use) and is subject to prior notice for certain actions (e.g., appropriation of belongings).
No. No person may keep, manage, or operate an apartel/tourist inn without first securing from the Department a certificate of registration and a valid license to operate. Owners/occupants who allow use without these also incur liability.
The license is valid for one (1) year or until the 30th of September of the year of issuance, whichever comes first, unless sooner revoked.
Renewal application starts on September 1 up to September 30 of the expiry year. A surcharge of fifty percent (50%) of the license fees due is imposed for those who fail to file on time.
Examples include: false declarations or fraud/misrepresentation to obtain registration/license; failure to comply with license conditions; failure to meet operational standards; serious physical injury or loss of life of a guest due to fault or negligence; allowing illegal/immoral/illicit activities in the premises/facilities; and violation/non-compliance with provisions, orders, decisions, or circulars of the Department.
Yes. Without prejudice to penal sanctions, the Department may impose an administrative fine of not less than P1,000 nor more than P10,000, including suspending or revoking the license of any person under the Department’s regulatory jurisdiction who violates or causes another to violate provisions/circulars.
The Department exercises quasi-judicial powers in resolving cases filed against apartels/tourist inns and/or their employees in accordance with the Department’s rules and procedures governing complaints.